Fare Changes Coming July 1

News Articles06/16/2009

AC Transit fares are changing on Wednesday, July 1. All local and transbay fares will increase, with the exception of Local 31-Day tickets for youth and monthly RTC card stickers for seniors and persons with disabilities. Transbay 10-Ride and 31-Day magnetic-strip tickets will be eliminated (but riders can purchase the same value and passes on a TransLink card). Fares were last raised in September 2005. See chart of new fares.

New fare structure
Local single-ride fares for adults will rise by 25 cents from $1.75 to $2.00 and the current 85-cent fare for youth, seniors and persons with disabilities will increase by 15 cents to $1. Prices of the local 10-Ride tickets will continue to be non-discounted multiples of the single-ride fares–$20 for adults and $10 for youth, seniors and persons with disabilities.

The Local Adult 31-Day ticket price will increase from $70 to $80. The Local 31-Day ticket for youth will remain at $15, and the monthly RTC pass sticker for seniors and persons with disabilities will remain at $20.

A single transbay ride will increase from $3.50 to $4.00 for adults and from $1.70 to $2.00 for youth, seniors and persons with disabilities. The Transbay 31-Day price goes up from $116 to $132.50. The Transbay 10-Ride and 31-Day magnetic-strip tickets will no longer be available, so transbay fares must be paid with a TransLink card or cash. Current Transbay 10-Ride ticket users can load the equivalent value in “e-cash” (or any cash value they choose) on a TransLink card. Current 31-Day ticket users can load a 31-Day pass on the card.

The cost of a local bus-to-bus transfer stays the same at 25 cents. However, the “add-on” fare with BART-to-Bus transfers increases from $1.50 to $1.75 for adults and from 65 cents to 75 cents for youth, seniors and persons with disabilities.

Using your old tickets
You have until September 30, 2009*, to use up old tickets. After September 30, tickets with old prices will not be accepted in the fare box. (The one exception is the Local Youth 31-Day ticket, which you may continue to use beyond September 30 because the price is not changing.)

If you are using old 10-Ride tickets between July 1 and September 30, you will need to add the cash difference between the old and new single-ride fares each time you board . For local trips, this is 25 cents for adults and 15 cents for youth, seniors and persons with disabilities. For transbay trips, this is 50 cents for adults and 30 cents for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities.

If you are using old 31-Day tickets between July 1 and September 30, you don’t need to pay additional fare. It’s just important to remember that those 31-Day tickets will also be invalid on October 1.

Exchanging unused tickets
Starting June 22, unused tickets may be exchanged for new tickets (or value loaded on a TransLink card) at AC Transit ticket offices in Oakland and San Francisco. (Tickets that have been used even once may not be exchanged, even if some rides remain on the ticket.) Be prepared to pay the difference between the old price and the new price. If you ask for the ticket or its cash value to be placed on a TransLink card, you’ll get the card for free–a $5.00 savings. Please note that tickets cannot be exchanged at a retail vendor.

To exchange tickets by mail, print out and complete the downloadable ticket exchange form, and mail it to AC Transit along with your unused 10-Ride and/or 31-Day tickets.

If you have a specific question about making the transition to the new fares, please call 511 (and say “AC Transit”) or send your question using our online customer feedback form.

*Revised date (printed brochures in distribution say August 31, which is incorrect).